Path To Rest In Peace
by crystal-mist
Summary: Shun finds himself in the middle of a predicament. An apparition of a beautiful girl is out to exact revenge; something about past lives and betrayal. Follow his path as he rediscovers the relationship he had with Alice when they were alive 200 years ago.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary- Shun finds himself in the middle of a predicament. An apparition of a beautiful girl is out to exact revenge; something about past lives and betrayal. Follow his path as he rediscovers the relationship he had with Alice when they were alive about 200 years ago.**

**The summary is somewhat lame. I am sorry; I'm not good at writing summaries.**

**This is my first attempt at writing Supernatural/Tragedy. I don't know if this is actually a perfect genre to include this in.****So please do forgive me for any potential mistakes****. **

**And also, if you feel that any other genre is more appropriate over the course of the story, then please do inform me.**

**Thank you for clicking this link. My Nineteenth Story. :)**

**Enjoy.**

**Path To**** Rest In Peace**

**crystal-mist**

**Chapter 1**

**Apparition**

What I am about to tell you, is a tale of the supernatural that has somehow incorporated itself into our urban era.

**Shun** Kazami, a very successful journalist has found himself in quite a predicament. He seemed to be living in a haunted house… Or rather, the haunting seemed to follow him wherever he roamed.

He always felt like someone was following him. _I am twenty one years old now, I shouldn't be believing in ghosts…. This are just strange coincidences_. Plainly he was getting stressed out.

It was 17th of July and **Shun** was sitting in his study reviewing some things for his latest entry. He constantly felt that someone was looking over his shoulder but when he turned around there was no one there. He sighed a bit as he turned back to his work. The article was about a famous lady singer.

There was a sound of glass shattering. He stood up from his chair and looked at the window which had shattered into bits right before his very eyes.

He went towards it to inspect it. There was no sign of a rock having penetrated. Perhaps some supernatural force? A chill went down his spine as he thought of this.

Suddenly the light that lit up the room also shattered into bits. He almost jumped at the shock. He closed his eyes and calmed himself. He made his way to the storeroom to get a new light bulb. He came back and fit it there, and then he turned it on.

Strangely enough, the light bulb lit up in a dim red glow… He turned his attention to his article.

His eyes widened as he saw it… There was a dagger impaled onto the face of the singer's picture and on the article there was the mark of blood in the shape of a hand…

He took a few steps backwards… A cool breeze started blowing in through the brocken window pane and it ruffled all the papers and his hair.

He felt like someone was behind him once again, when he turned around he saw something written on the wall. "GO TO HELL!" written in a red fluid that was unmistakably blood.

His heart was beating wildly…What was happening?

He started running out of the room. He had to get out of this place. It was the first time that the things were this ominous. He stopped because just where the door was stood a girl…

A girl with the palest white skin, she had bright orange hair and her eyes were brown.  
She stood there with an emotionless face and blocked the entrance.

He noticed that blood was emerging from a wound on her forehead. It flowed down the side of her face. And blood was also coming out of her eyes in the form of tears. Her clothes were pure white but they were tattered, there was also some white fabric half way down her neck.

"Who…who are you?" he muttered realizing that she was probably responsible for his haunting.

"You do not remember?" she asked… Her voice was strangely soft and musical.

He nodded his head from side to side.

"Unforgivable…" she muttered, anger crossing her eyes… "Unforgivable… GO to hell…**Shun**."

"But why? Why are you trying to kill me?"

"Oh, I wish to do more that just kill you." She said in an ominous tone. "After what you've done to me."

"But I….I don't know-"He could complete because she held a knife at his throat…She pinned him to a wall. She was a ghost, but where ghosts supposed to be able to do this?

Her eyes were still full of hatred… He could tell that she despised him from the very core of her heart. But why though? He couldn't tell…

A raven flew in from the broken window and perched itself on the table near Shun and the girl.

"**Alice**…you want revenge this badly?" asked the raven, it had ruby red eyes and had an intimidating aura.

**Alice** –the ghost- did not answer, she pressed the knife a bit into **Shun**'s neck. Lucky for him, it was only a warning because she had pressed the blunt side of the knife against him.

"Alright…but you know what will happen afterwards… Exacting revenge comes at a price." Said the raven.

"I know…" she muttered in an eerie voice.

"But, you must know one thing…Right now; he has no idea of what has happened… So there is only one condition…Kill him after the unfolding of this vision." Said the raven as it flew away.

Alice stared after it curiously.

The raven was the guardian of hell... She had earned a place in hell a long time ago… She hadn't done anything that was sinful during her lifetime but after her death, her anger overtook her and well, the rest was a long story…

**Shun** had guessed by now that the girl wanted him to suffer, but why?

He watched as the scene of his room dissolved and was engulfed by darkness and then a lush green garden filled its place. In front of him was a small cottage…

The knife dropped from **Alice**'s fingertips as she saw the landscape. Her brown eyes widened in horror.

"No…no….I do not want to relive this…" her voice was filled with devastated panic… "No, please no." she muttered trembling. "Please NO."

"Are you alright?" Shun didn't know why, but he was very concerned about this girl although she had tried to kill him.

"Don't _**touch**_ me." She screamed, an exasperate look formed on her face. The bloody tears no longer flowed from her eyes, although the wound on her head was still there.

It was then that **Shun** really _**looked**_at her –she was beautiful.

He was baffled at what awaited him.

There was a sound of cries… Of someone in pain and by the sound of it, it was a young girl. Without thinking twice **Shun** ran in the direction of the sobs.

He ran through the forest and without actually turning around he noticed that **Alice**'s spirit was following him.

In the middle of the forest there was a little girl of about 10 years of age with short orange hair… it was **Alice** as a child. A group of boys were beating her up and she was crying but they did not stop hitting her.

**Shun** watched it with a horrified look on his face. He rushed towards the little girl to help her but they couldn't see or hear him… He passed right through them.

He turned his attention to **Alice**'s ghost; she had a hurt look on her face. Reminiscing the past was painful to her and she had her trembling hands positioned at her sides as she watched the _little Alice_ being beaten up. With her sad chocolate eyes she watched as the _little Alice_ didn't resist, she watched as bruises filled the little girl's body.

**Shun** realized that this was a memory of the past and that he couldn't change it.

Right then a voice echoed from behind him.

"Hey…What do you think you are doing?" A boy with long black hair and golden eyes stood there looking at the kids… "Leave _Alice_ alone." He said.

The other boys just sneered at him and started heading in his direction.

**Shun**'s eyes widened; that little kid who came to save _Alice_; he was a split image of himself.

The _little Shun_ defeated all the kids in the fight and in the end headed in the _little Alice's_ direction. He held out a hand to her. "I am sorry for not getting here sooner." He apologized.

The little orange-haired girl looked at him and timidly took his hand. He helped her up, but she almost fell down again.

"You are hurt very badly." said _Shun_ in a downtrodden voice. He then carried her piggy-back all the way to her house.

Twenty year old **Shun** looked at **Alice**'s ghost. "That was me?" he asked her.

"In your former life…Yes."

"My former life!" he exclaimed. "But why…why were they beating you up.

She didn't know why, but she found herself explaining. "Because of my hair…" she said. "You see, my hair is pure orange… Everyone else had black hair, even my parents… It was a time of great superstition… The priest declared me as a threat to the village itself because of my different hair colour. He said that orange was a colour of sacrilege and thus, I was condemned from birth to be hated by everyone."

**Shun**'s heart ached for her.

She turned away from his gaze. "I shouldn't have told you all that." She muttered softly.

**Shun** looked away from her and went into the house.

Inside, the _little Shun_ was treating her wounds.

"I really don't get it why they beat you up." He said, gently dabbing her wound.

"Because…" her voice was very low. "I am condemned."

"Don't say that…You know that's not true."

"It is…Even my parents despise the shame that I have brought them."

"Your hair is just different...I really don't know what's wrong with these people….You are unique...I think orange is a great colour. It suits you."

Her chocolate eyes widened and a little pink tinge appeared on her cheeks… "Really?"

"Yes...I mean it."

**Shun Kazami** watched the form of the innocent children. The _little Alice_ had undoubtedly gone through a lot of suffering, but by the look of things it seemed that the _little Shun_ was her friend and was the only person who cared for her.

The _little Shun_ was **his** former embodiment. Everything was starting to confuse him. But his heart yearned to know what exactly made **Alice** want to kill her 'friend' so badly.

He turned his attention to the apparition who was beside him.

"**Alice**-" he called out.

"Don't call me that…" she snapped immediately,

"What exactly did I do to you in my former life?"

"I am not exactly reliving these memories because I wish to." She said as she gazed at her younger self smiling in _Shun_'s company…

She wished she could forget but she couldn't and now she was forced to relive her days, relive her pain…

**That's it, end of first chapter.**

*******~~Impt A/N: From here on out the real Shun and Alice, you know, the twenty year old guy and Alice's ghost will be stylized in bold writing and the little guys in italics. It will be confusing because we may have to jump back and forth such a lot. And don't worry most of the time I refer to them as 'little Shun' and 'little Alice'. I hope that's okay with you.**

**If you have another, better word that can interpret 'little' in the above situation then please let me know Kay?**

**Please review.**


	2. Chapter 2

Before we begin please let us join together and pray for the safety of the people in Japan who have encountered a very devastating Tsunami and earthquake

**Very Impt A/N **Alright so from now- The little Shun and Alice in the memories will be written in bold as Shuon and Alyce respectively. And those viewing the memories i.e. journalist Shun and apparition Alice will be written in normal spellings and in italics. *****

**Path To Rest In Peace**

**crystal-mist**

**Chapter 2**

Why was this happening to her? Why was she always the one to endure ultimate pain and suffering? _Alice _had always been viewed as an outcast, a 'thing' that was barely human and whom no one could understand.

The scene before _Shun _dissolved and another one replaced it. This scene was of a little waterfall which had somewhat of a spring near it.

There standing on the banks of the spring was **Alyce**_;_ she had her arms tied behind her back as she hummed a soft melody. She swayed a little, in tune to the song that escaped her lips.

Some boys sneaked up behind her and pushed her into the water screaming 'Die you witch!'.

**Alyce **was taken aback**. **She paddled desperately as she struggled to keep herself from drowning.. Somehow she managed to bring herself to one of the shallow areas. She spat out the water that had entered her mouth and coughed helplessly.

The boys sniggered and left her.

**Alyce **emerged from the spring dripping wet. She sneezed once or twice. The water had been bone-chilling cold and she started walking home.

When she reached the entrance of her house she saw her mother sitting on the porch cutting some vegetables. Seeing **Alyce**she set the vegetables aside and walked towards her.

When she reached right in front of her daughter she raised her hand and struck her.

**Alyce** was sent flying to the ground.

"You Stupid child…DO you not know that wandering the streets dripping wet is an ill omen. We have to suffer enough because of you already… Now get out of my sight and don't return until you are dry." She commanded to the drenched girl.

"Yes mother." said **Alyce** as she shakily got up to her feet and walked away… Strangely enough, in spite of all this ill-treatment, little **Alyce** couldn't bring herself to despise her own mother.

She sat herself down underneath a tree and sneezed once again. She drew her knees to her chest and rested her head on them as her body trembled from the cold.

"**Alyce?"** exclaimed **Shuon** as he saw her figure curled up pitifully.

She raised her head and looked at him, her eyes were blank. But in their depths there was sorrow/

"What happened?" questioned **Shuon**.

She evaded his question. "It's nothing really…"

"Don't lie."

"You don't need to know."

"And why not? I thought I was your 'friend'. "he said as he sat down in front of her.

"Friends?" she repeated, a bit dazed. "You are my friend?" she repeated in disbelief. She couldn't believe that he actually had seen her as a friend whilst everyone scorned her.

"Why do you sound so surprised?" and then a sheepish expression passed across his face. "Uh…I see… you never considered us as friends, did you?" he said, avoiding her gaze. "Although; I did." He added.

Sheer disbelief crossed **Alyce**'s eyes… "We are…friends." She said as a bright smile lit up her face.

**Shuon** took out a cloth from the folds of his clothes and lay it upon **Alyce**'s head.

Her chocolate orbs widened as he dried her orange hair for her.

"Fine, don't tell me then." said **Shuon**, still drying her hair.

She stared at his sincere eyes in wonder. She was not used to this type of kindness.

"Now we need to get your clothes dry….Come to my home."

"I…I can't." she said, her hands trembling. "If your parents see….then-"

"Don't worry...They are out at this time of day."

Saying this **Shuon** took **Alyce**'s hand and led her to his house.

Whilst seeing this, the apparition _Alice_ looked extremely distraught. She obviously didn't like this trip down memory lane…but why was she so bitter?

_Shun_ was just bewildered, he didn't know what to make of the situation he was in. He could only watch as _Alice_'s memories unwound like a movie in front of his eyes.

It was strange; as he watched the memories he seemed to be able to predict what exactly would happen next… It was like he was recollecting something from a previous experience. But he was doing this subconsciously; he had no control of the memories of his past life.

But why was his heart beating so fast? What was this fluttering feeling inside his chest every time he looked at _Alice_'s apparition? Why did his entire soul ache when he saw her grieving face?

Sure, she wanted to kill him, but still, he had an unfathomable desire to take her in his arms. Why did he feel like he wanted to protect her and himself from something? Why? Why?

_Shun_ watched as more of _Alice_'s miserable childhood unfolded in front of his eyes… She was always alone and scorned by everyone around her. The little **Shuon **was the only one who was kind to her.

**Alyce**'s parents abused her and everyone treated her like dirt; like an inferior creature who was a curse to everyone around her.

She was beautiful; the girl with orange hair looked like an absolute angel. The priest interpreted this as the devil's trick to deceive them.

People beat her up for no reason and the little girl would say nothing in protest. She would only stay silent and cry herself to sleep almost every night because of the atrocities she had to go through.

Her smile soon faded; that innocent smiled was soon extinct. Even **Shuon** could nothing to make her smile again. Her face became emotionless and as she neared fourteen years of age she started hating her life more and more with each passing day.

Regardless **Shuon** still protected her from whatever harm he could. He was the only one who was not scared to be all alone with her.

One day whilst Alyce was sitting on the bank of the river. She turned to Shuon who was beside her.

"Why is it that you are so kind to me?" she asked, her voce emotionless.

Shuon was laying down on the grass. HE looked up at the sky. "Do I need a reason?"

She was quiet for sometime… but then she spoke up. "But why? I am a monster."

"No, you are not….Just because you were born with orange hair doesn't mean that you are a monster."

"But everyone says so."

"Then 'everyone' is mistaken."

**Alyce**'s brown eyes widened. She hadn't expected** Shuon** to be this sincere in what he would answer.

"You are foolish."

"I don't mind." He answered, sitting up and looking at her with a smile on his face.

**Alyce**'s eyes softened as she saw his smile and a slight pink tint appeared on her pale cheeks.

When she was fourteen **Alyce** found a little rabbit lying on the ground. The poor thing was almost dead. She felt sorry for it because it was lying all alone in the grass in the last moments of its life. **Alyce** didn't wasn't it to be lonely; she didn't want it to suffer like she had.

"There is nothing I can do to save you my dear creature …It's alright though little one…I am here for you…You won't have to be alone when you perish..." She muttered as a tear escaped her eyes.

She held the rabbit daintily in her arms and gazed at it with a warm look.

Some kids were watching her from behind a tree…

After a few seconds the rabbit died in Alice's arms.

"Farewell my friend… I hope you rest in peace." She muttered.

The kids behind the trees shrieked. "She killed the rabbit just by **looking** at it….She's a monster!"

**Alyce**'s eyes widened in horror. She stood up and tried to explain the situation to them but they would not listen.

"Run…Or she'll kill us as well…" they went running to the village elders and told them of what they had witnessed.

**Alyce **was dumbfounded. What was she to do? She hadn't killed the rabbit…Tears ran down her eyes as she anticipated the terror of what was coming.

When the elders reached the scene **Alyce** had already ran away.

"Where is she? That orange haired monster…"

**Alyce** sat curled up in one of the storage rooms, her arms trembling in fear as she waited for herself to be found out. She stayed there for one whole day. In the end she was found out.

"Devil incarnate." They called out.

"Ambitious witch….You shall lead us to ruin with your acidic presence."

They caught her. "We will make sure that you no longer practice this witchcraft."

They tied her up in the town square.

"Your punishment…You will be tied up for two weeks with nothing more than a ball of rice everyday."

She did not resist. She knew that irrespective of what she said she would still be punished. So she did not struggle, she let herself be tied, sobbing silently all the while.

In the morning when the adults were not looking, the kids made it a game to throw rocks at her. She could not move…She would only cry whilst all alone...

When it was about dusk she thought that she saw a figure approaching her. She winced in fear. Whenever someone approached her it wasn't for any good reason. They would either do so to hurt her physically or with their words.

As her eyes focused on the figure, she saw that it was Shuon.

He was standing a good way away; it was as if he was a bit scared to approach her. More tears rolled down her cheeks as she realized that she had lost him as well.

Now everyone would be against her.

After taking a deep breathe he started walking towards her… There was something in his hands. As he reached right in front of her, he opened he box in his hands.

"Keep this a secret kay?" he whispered before he took some chopsticks.

"What-" but she was cut short as **Shuon** put some food in her mouth.

"Eat up." He said, a smile appearing on his face.

She chewed the food as more tears rolled down her cheeks. He kept feeding her and after he had finished he sat down right beside her.

"What happened this time?" he asked softly.

"The rabbit….I didn't kill it…It was already on the…" her voice cracked as a sob escaped her lips. "It was already on the verge of death…I…I just …didn't want it…to be all….alone." she said.

"It's alright **Alyce**…I believe you." He said as he stood up and wiped her tears away with his hand. "Don't cry…" he said, now tucking her messy strands of hair in their places.

She just gazed at him in surprise and a blush was on her cheeks.

"I'll come by at this time tomorrow as well okay?"

She nodded and then watched as **Shuon** left.

_Alice_, the apparition watched everything with a growing hatred towards the raven who was the guardian of hell. Why was that raven making her remember all this? She only wanted revenge…And after that she could rest in peace…well more or less.

All she had to do was kill **Shuon**'s reincarnation. That was all she needed to do…But now, why relive these painful moments of her life; these happy, yet painful moments filled with deceit? She knew what was coming and she regretted that she had ever fallen in love with that black-haired boy with the topaz coloured eyes and the most deceiving smile.

**Alright so my explanations…**

** raven is the guardian of hell… He is like a gate-keeper [not is true form of course] Being the keeper of hell, he doesn't mind the revenge Alice wishes to obtain….But he enjoys watching others suffer so he adds a little more suffering into the equation. That is why Alice has to live through these days of her past again so that she will remember and suffer.**

**Please REVIEW.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Path To Rest In Peace**

**crystal-mist**

Chapter 3

_Shun_, the journalist gulped as he watched the past of the orange-haired ghost in front of him… There was something about it that bothered him. And no, it wasn't the way his heart started beating faster in her presence… abut it was something else…Something he couldn't quite put his finger on.

**Alyce** was still tied up to the pole; her ankles and wrists were starting to hurt. The ropes were cutting into her delicate flesh. SO each day would pass by in the same sorry way. Poor **Alyce **was hit, made a target for flying rocks, a receiver of scorns and all else.

And at the time of sunset when the entire village would be indoors **Shuon** would appear with food for **Alyce**. And each day he would feed her with a smile on his face. His kindness was something she just couldn't comprehend.

Alyce reached the end of her punishment. Her legs were so stiff that she could hardly stand after she was untied. Her wrists and ankles were filled with marks from the rope and blood emerged from them and drenched her. And to make matters worse, she had countless wounds from all the times the children threw stones at her.

She fell onto the ground. And just sat there. The elders looked at her in disgust. That was when the oldest villager came up with a diabolical idea.

"On her eighteenth birthday let us make her a human sacrifice to our Gods." He said with a scheming smirk on his face.

"But pity, we gave to wait until she is eighteen to do away with her… We need her to be an official adult before locking her up in the shrine…"

Poor **Alyce** was unaware of the scheming minds who sought to get rid of her.

She made her way to her home only to be scorned by her mother.

'_My life…It's a hindrance to everyone….I am an…an extra-wheel…' _she would think to herself when she was alone.

And slowly, her smile faded. The bright, optimistic girl she used to be disappeared. She stopped smiling; even **Shuon**'s company couldn't bring her back to who she used to be.

Most of the time she would just spend her time staring off to the distance with an aloof look on her face.

This worried Shuon, he missed Alyce's smile. But no matter what he tried he couldn't make her revert her back to her old self.

"You should just leave me be…Worrying about me will do you no good." She would tell him; she wouldn't even look at him.

He would sigh but had made up his mind not to give up… She was very important to him…And he took it upon himself to care for her, because nobody else did.

So everyday he would meet her and talk to her and try to make her respond. But as days passed by it seemed that she seemed to be more insecure and 'shriveled' up.

"Why are you so persistent **Shuon**?" she asked him one day.

"What d'you mean?"

"Oh you know very well."

"I am not being persistent." He answered shortly. "Is it so wrong; wanting to spend time with you?"

Her eyes widened as she turned towards him in surprise. "Don't lie."

"I am not lying…" he announced in a determined tone. "I don't care what you say; I won't stop trying to revert you back to your old self."

"Good luck with that." She stated; her voice didn't have sarcasm in it, just emotionless; they were hollow words with not a single speck of emotion.

The towns people were not especially nice to **Alyce** the following years…

She turned into a beautiful girl who was sixteen years old. Her orange hair was dreaded by everyone, but they had to admit-the girl was beautiful. Her chocolate eyes were now just depths of sorrow, and her beautiful orange hair just a reminder of the wretched life she had led. The marks on her wrists because of the rope two years ago had created light coloured scars.

She was still reserved; she did not open up to anyone.

And over the course of time, **Shuon** had managed to fall in love with the orange-haired girl who kept herself from everyone. It bothered him that the once cheery girl who had held his hands was reduced to such a sorry state of seclusion.

One day he took hold of her hand and started leading her somewhere.

"Where…are you taking me?" she asked as he pulled her.

"Somewhere nice…."

"But where?"

"Do you trust me?" he questioned her, he was full well expecting a 'no' or a long silence.

"Uh…Yes." She muttered and let herself be led by Shuon.

He smiled to himself as he heard her answer… And he couldn't ignore the fact that his heart was beating madly.

They soon reached a flower valley. Alyce's eyes widened as she saw the garden. "We haven't been here for such a long time!" she exclaimed.

"Uh-huh, It's more beautiful now than it once was." He answered. He sat down on the grass and patted the ground beside him indicating her to take a seat as well.

Alice just stood there, hesitating for a bit. But then again what more could she loose than she already have?

She sat down right next to Shuon.

A long stretch of silence followed… Alyce tried to figure out exactly why Shuon was doing all this for her. Wouldn't it just be a whole lot easier if he hated her like all the others?

On the other hand, she was being more self-conscious as to why she was trying to push Shuon away from her. It was because of ONE simple crude reason.

She couldn't bear to get crushed once again. She noticed that she was starting to develop unrequited feeling of love for him… The more time she spent with him, the more the fluttering in her heart multiplied. But if she told him of her feelings he would see her as a freak like all he rest.

**Alyce** had to admit, she didn't mind admiring from afar-she really didn't, but she didn't want her naïve hopes and desires to be crushed to dust.

So she merely chose not to hope, not to desire for anything out of her reach.

"Shuon…Why do you put in so much effort just to make me smile?"

"Because… I miss your beautiful smile." He replied without thinking, then turned away blushing.

A blush crept upon Alyce's cheeks as she hugged her knees to her chest. Her heart was beating so incredibly fast… She had to stop this unrequited love somehow.

It was then that she felt Shuon's hand on hers. He held her hand tenderly. "Alyce…please stop shutting me out of your heart."

Her eyes widened as she looked directly at him. "What…" her blush deepened. "What do you mean by that?"

Shuon leant closer to her deciding that it was now or never. "I don't care what the others say…You are precious to me."

He slowly brushed a strand of Alyce's bright orange hair behind her ear… "I really do not care about what others say…It is your feeling that matter to me."

She didn't say anything. She was trying to figure out where this conversation was leading.

"I don't know if this is the time or the place for this… but I…" he tenderly touched her face.

Alyce didn't flinch away from his touch…In fact, it felt oddly comforting. And then his next few words took her by storm.

"I love you….Alyce…"

Her eyes widened as tears involuntarily rolled down her eyes. "No…it's not possible…. It's not possible for someone as amazing as you to fall in love with a monster like me." She said shaking her head from side to side.

"You are not a monster…" he stated severely. He brushed the tears from her eyes.

"Shuon…I am a worthless-" she couldn't complete because she pressed his finger to her lips and shook his head in disapproval.

Their hearts were beating wildly.

"Will you allow me to kiss you?" he asked in a low tone.

More tears rolled down her eyes as she briefly broke eye contact. But then she nodded and turned towards Shuon and let him take her in his arms.

He could taste her salty tears as his lips made contact with hers.

Alyce felt her heart beating so hard…It felt heavenly…

Could it really be possible? Was all this just a dream? Could Shuon really love her? But his lips on hers only indicated to one obvious answer…Yes, it was possible.

After they parted Alyce gazed shyly into Shuon's eyes.

"Oh Shuon…" she touched his cheek daintily with her pale hands and smiled at him amidst her tears… "I love you as well." She said laying her head on his chest. Shuon smiled happily as he gently pulled her closer into his grip.

The journalist Shun could feel his heart beating madly as he watched this confession scene.

Wait a second; so that means tat he loved Alice right? He was the only one to be kind to her? And she loved him back as well right? Then, why did she want to kill him so fiercely now? What could've possessed her to make her hate him so much?

He turned his gaze to the ghostly figure of Alice; he thought he saw a single tear roll down her cheeks as she watched this. But she soon wiped it away.

'_This is not time for you to be so nostalgic Alice_.' She told herself as she regained her composure.

'_What did I do to you?'_ thought Shun as he gazed at the beautiful ghostly girl with his soft golden eyes.

**I won't talk much this time…**

**Thanks for reading.**

**Thank for the review…**

**Please keep reading…**

**And please do REVIEW. Tell me what you think Kay?**

**Thankyou.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Path To Rest In Peace**

**crystal-mis****t**

**Chapter 4**

**Eighteenth Year**

Time is something we have no control of, something ever changing and never static.

For Alice (ghost) time was something that seemed endless. She had spent countless years straying on this Earth and it was not entertaining. Time only multiplied the pain she felt tenfold. Her initial hatred had multiplied itself over the years… And now she found herself viewing her past in third person point of view.

Living it in first person point of view was hard enough and now this was really getting to her. She clenched her teeth as she watched the vision of her in Shuon's arms and her lips on his. It hurt her; the love she had felt was so real but now her only purpose of being tied to this world was to kill that exact same person. Ironic wasn't it?

Days passed by just the same as always… Only one significant change was noticed, Alyce always saved her smile for Shun and Shun alone. It was like a special gift reserved only for him.

Slowly Alice grew up and finally came her eighteenth birthday…

She sat in the clearing of the forest…

She heard the crack of a few twigs, a small smile lit up her face.

"Boo!" came Shuon's voice.

"I heard the noise you made." She stated matter-of-factly.

"Fine…SO I couldn't surprise you on your birthday…Big deal." He commented as he plopped down beside her.

Alyce smiled. "Now don't be upset."

"You could at least pretend to be surprised."

"Shuon…You are nineteen but you still talk like a twelve year old." She said whilst laughing.

'_It's nice to see her happy like this.'_ thought Shuon to himself as he gazed at Alyce.

"What is it?" asked Alyce seeing his happy and self-satisfied grin.

"Oh nothing…" he said, his grin widening. "You are so beautiful…Especially when you are happy."

She felt her cheeks burn up. She immediately tore her gaze from his and looked in the opposite direction, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart.

Just then she saw something dangling right in front of her eyes. She stared at the beautiful green gem that hung on a silver chain.

"For you…" Shoun whispered as he held it.

"No way…" she muttered in disbelief.

"Of course it's for you."

She turned her attention to Shuon who was still by her side but was leaning a bit closer to her as he extended the necklace.

"You won't accept?" he questioned, doubt suddenly filling his voice.

"No it's not that…I just…I can't believe all this." She said as tears filled her eyes. But she blinked them away. If she cried then this whole atmosphere would be ruined and that was not what she wanted. "Thank you." She muttered taking hold of the necklace. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it…It's your eighteenth birthday after all. How often do you turn into a full-fledged adult?" he said in a soft tone.

Shuon's kindness was the only thing that kept Alyce going these days. After all the atrocities she had to face, the only thing that made her look forward to yet another day was Shuon's smile that always awaited her. It was the way that he made her feel. She felt so happy, so light-headed when she was with him. She didn't have to be on the guard when she was with him.

Shuon then took the necklace from her grasp and went behind her. "Move your hair, I'll put it on for you." He told her.

Alyce blushed as she heard this but she moved her hair for him. She could feel her heart beat so fast as the cool chain of the metal made contact with her skin and even more when his skin touched the back of her neck.

"There." He said in a satisfied tone… "Wow, it looks good on you."

"Uh…well thanks…" she said as pink once again covered her cheeks.

But this happiness was short lived.

That night the bells on the town's monastery started ringing in a deafening clang. This only happened when disaster struck or if something important was to be announced.

Everyone in the village came out of doors and waited to know what the village elder intended by using the bell all of a sudden.

"Everyone may I have your attention…." Spoke up the elder. "Lately it has been observed that our Goddess is extremely unhappy about something. And upon long deliberations only on such unappealing thing comes to mind." He was speaking in a calm yet grave tone. "And so it has been collectively decided by the council members to offer the orange haired maiden Alyce to our Goddess as a human sacrifice."

The villages actually sighed in relief…The news of Alyce's sacrifice did not particularly bother anyone, not even her parents. The only ones who were in a state of shock were Alyce and Shuon.

"That's not fair…What proof do you have?" Shuon spoke up without thinking.

Everyone was taken aback by the intervention.

"What do you know, you brat?"

"But this is unfair." Shuon told the elder.

"Keep quiet Shuon…" urged his mother.

"I can't believe that none of you are remotely concerned about justice…" his words were taking the people by storm….Most of them were a bit enraged. "It is not fair…Haven't you made her suffer enough?"

The villagers stared at him "How can you even think of supporting that monster?" one of them spoke up.

Alyce just watched as Shuon's words seeped into the hostile ears of the people. She could see that his words weren't doing much good. All it was doing was turning them against Shuon.

"She is not a monster…I mean, it's not Alyce's fault that her hair is-"

"Shuon…that's enough." Someone had cut him short.

And this time Shuon did not speak up…He knew that voice, he knew it all too well…Alyce…Why was she stopping him like this? He turned his attention to her. Her face was serene as she shook her head from side to side signaling her disapproval at his behavior.

"But Alyce…."

"I…." she closed her eyes in resolve. She didn't want Shuon to suffer on her account. "I accept my fate as you deem it fit."

The elder's wrinkled old face lit up. "Very well then…" he signaled some men to get hold of her. "You will be locked in the shrine from tomorrow…Until eternity."

She allowed herself to be led away by the men.

'Alyce…You crazy girl….Why did you stop me, and why are they so cruel…Can't they see that you are-" he couldn't complete his thoughts because his father had hit him on the face.

"You brat…What were you thinking, standing up for that THING….DO you know that you were putting the entire family in jeopardy. How reckless can you be?"

Shuon's father continued hitting him and he wouldn't have stopped in Shuon's mother hadn't intervened.

Shuon stood up from the ground, rubbing his sore face with his hands. So this was how Alyce felt every time she was beaten up. It was awful…

The next day Alyce would be locked in the shrine and then he could never see her again…Life was so unfair, so cruel.

That night he snuck out of the room and searched everywhere for the place they kept Alyce. But he couldn't find her in any of the storehouses.

"Alyce…" he called out into the night as he fell on his knees in defeat; all of no avail.

**Hm….SO how was the story? I know I know all of you're wondering what happened between them but I am sorry to tell you that you might have to wait just a wee bit longer. I am sure curiosity is eating up at you. I Mean, they seem so close….What could have happened?**

**But that is the thing with human beings…Everything is so unpredictable. From our actions to our words… Just one wrong action is enough to completely turn the tables around…One negative memory is etched deeper into our minds than any positive memory that we have experienced.**

**Have you noticed? You can remember sad memories more vividly than happy ones… That's just the way we function I guess…**

**Whatever, sorry for ranting on and on. Thanks for reading…And Please REVIEW.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Path To Rest In Peace**

**crystal-mis****t**

**Chapter 5**

**Lock Down**

The air was filled with the aroma of flowers and the atmosphere was filled with the deafening clang of some bells.

All the people had assembled in front of their houses and on the way that led to the shrine that was located on the mountains in midst of the forest.

**Alyce** was clad in a beautiful kimono and her body was adorned with ornaments as she walked the way the village elder was leading her.

Her face was blank. Out of the corner of her eye she saw her parents standing there. They did not seem the least bit sad or bothered. But she was used to this by now. Her eyes indirectly searched for **Shuon.** But he was nowhere to be found.

"I am sorry…" **Alyce** muttered to herself, directing it to **Shuon**.

She took step after step. The fact that she would have to be locked up in the shrine all alone did not faze her. After all, it wasn't the first time she would be all alone…But there was this major difference though…**Shuon **wouldn't be there. **Shuon **wouldn't be there to protect her and most importantly care for her. She would never see his face again.

Tears dripped down her cheek as she considered the possibility.

She could hear the words of the people there.

"The witch will finally leave."

"Gone are the days of our misfortune."

"Our children can finally live in peace without any fear."

"How reassuring!"

She shut out these comments from her mind. If only she could see **Shuon** one last time.

What was she thinking? Oh lord, just the fact that **Shuon** expressed the fact that he loved her was pure luck… She shook her head free of all her irrational thoughts. **Alyce** knew that she was being selfish but at that moment all she wanted was to see him one last time.

Of course, why would he come to see her now? She was a sacrifice.

The procession finally reached on the top of the mountain and winded through the woods until they came to a little shrine.

**Alyce** was led into the shrine. And it was locked. Some men and women spent a considerable time chanting incantations.

**Alyce **sat on the hard wooden floor. She knew what was going to happen. She would be starved to death now. It took her a little while for her eyes to get accustomed to the darkness in the room. She sighed as she leant back on the wall.

**Alyce **managed to fall asleep. It was a lonely existence.

One week passed. She was weak by now. Alyce would spend time by singing to herself. She was frail now; she was thinner but more beautiful.

Her head was starting to feel heavy… "I am going to die…" she muttered to herself.

One night she heard a knock on the wooden window of the shrine.

She froze…Was it a wild animal?  
_'Don't worry Alyce; it can't get you in here.' _She told herself as she hugged her knees to her chest. '_And even if it did, it wouldn't eat you…You are all skin and bones now.'_

The knock came again.

She did not stir.

"Alyce…You are still alive in there, aren't you?" came a barely audible whisper.

Her eyes widened. The shrine was dark apart from the moonlight that flooded in through the windows.

"Who…who are you?" she stuttered in fear…What if that person had come to kill her?

"Can you get out of there?" the whispering voice enquired.

"Who are...you?" she repeated her previously unanswered question.

"Don't tell me that you've forgotten already….It's me, Shuon."

Her heart skipped a beat or two as she heard that name… This was just not possible. He had sneaked near the shrine.

"I have some food for you…You must be starving…"

"A bit…" she agreed. She couldn't lie to him. She laid her face on the wooden wall and closed her eyes and just listened to Shuon's voice as he tried to device a plan. A smile was on her lips.

"Alright then, stand back." He ordered.

And with that he set to work on the lock on the door. The were in a village so the locks was primitive and a bit rusty.

He took out a knife and started prying the lock with it.

There was the sound of metal rubbing against metal and then after about fifteen minutes there was a faint click and the door flew open.

And there he was, standing at the entrance of the shrine.

"I had better not enter just incase… They say that it is inappropriate for a man to enter the shrine." He said.

Alice was sitting on the ground, just near the slit window. The moonlight seeped through and fell directly on her. It was like there was a spotlight on her in midst of the darkness.

The both of them spent a considerable time just staring at one another. They did not move, and they scarcely blinked as their eyes were locked.

"Shuon…You..you shouldn't be here…If someone found out…Then…"

"It's alright…..I was careful… And it's not like you are trying to escape. I am just passing you some food." saying this he undid his bag and took out dome bowls and extended it towards her.

She was still inside the shrine but she was very near the entrance.

Alyce took the food and looked at Shuon. "You are taking an unnecessary risk."

"Whatever…Eat up." He said with a smile on his face.

"Thanks for the food." She said blushing as she undid the package.

And this happened almost every night… He would somehow manage to sneak out of his house.

It was risky, because it would be dark out and he had to find his way through various woods with nothing but a lone lantern. But in spite of all this he would visit her.

Now the both of them would sit on the steps of the shrine, just about a foot apart from one another.

Alice was a bit happier now because she was away from the scorns of the village folk and now she had Shun.

This little arrangement was carried out for about a month or so.

Then, disaster struck. The village and it's surrounding forests were struck with drought.

The crops wouldn't grow and the lands turned dry and unproductive.

The astrologer told them that this was a bad omen. And this misfortune had befallen them because they had let the demon's(Alyce) body remain unburied.

And her soul was probably causing this drought.

So there was yet another procession. This time it was so that the funeral rites could be performed without fail and so that Alyce wouldn't haunt them.

But when they reached the door of the shrine they found the lock broken and inside sat Alyce.

She was as beautiful and healthy as ever. But her eyes were now filled with fear as she saw them.

"She…she is still alive!" exclaimed one of the people...

"Divine will!"

"No, it is the Devil's curse."

"It is her….She is still alive in the shrine…that is the cause of the drought." they concluded.

Superstition really was a foolish thing. It was pity they did not understand it.

Strangely enough, they left without taking a particular decision.

That night Shuon went up the mountains.

One of the kids saw the light of the lantern. He saw Shuon sneaking out and he alerted the elders.

The people were shocked. 'It was his fault that they were condemned to suffer the drought.' They concluded. He was actually providing food to that wretched witch!

While Shuon was returning back, he was ambushed.

The villagers caught him and dragged him into one of the most dismal storehouses –the one which used as a grim prison.

He sat on the grimy floor.

The room reeked of blood and was pitch black... It was so dark that he couldn't see his hand right in front of his face.

Shuon was completely taken by surprise, what would happen now? Would he be killed along with Alyce?

Outside, the people deliberated about what to do with the two troublesome teens.

What were they to do? Could they condemn Shuon to death as well?

In the end they took a decision.

"We will give Shuon ONE more chance to redeem himself….Just one…We will give him the opportunity to seek salvation one way or another. And Alyce, we will do away with that THING."

That was their decision; their final decision was to do away with Alyce at all cost.

**So how was that Chapter?**

**Alright, so this is estimation time…This story will have only two to three more chapters. And for those who are wondering what Shuon did to Alyce to make her hate him please have the patience to wait one more chapter****..****The whole situation will be explained in the next chapter.**

**I admit nothing much happened in this chapter…but every story has one of those boring chapters that explain stuff don't they? **

**Julie- Excuses, excuses….Arisu dear you mustn't give so many excuses.**

**Me- Ah well, never mind**

**For now.**

**PLEASE REVIEW GUYS **

**Arigatou. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Path To Rest In Peace**

**crystal-mist**

**Chapter 6**

Shuon sat on the dusty grounds of the prison cell he was kept in. For some reason he just couldn't help but feel a tad uneasy…

That was when the door to his 'cell' flew open. At the entrance stood the village elder.

He walked over to Shuon and crouched down beside him. His lips twisted into a smirk as he whispered some instructions into Shuon's ear.

Shuon's golden eyes widened as he was taken by shock. "No…." he muttered.

"You have lots of time to think young kid." said the man before leaving.

Shun sat there in the darkness...His mind still gripped in horror at what the man had told him.

After about an hour or two the door opened and the village elder led him out. "Time to do your job kid."

Shuon looked at the box of food that was shoved into his hand, his eyes were wide and his heart was quaking with pain and uncertainty.…

Still in a daze he took step after step. His feet trod heavily and warily on the path that led to the shrine on the mountain top.

He knocked the door and Alyce emerged out of it, her eyes wide in fear.

"Shuon, you shouldn't be here...The villagers, they know that I am still alive and if they see you-"

Shuon cut her short before she could complete. "It's alright….Alyce" He said forcing a smile on his face.

Alyce kept staring at Shuon. She could read the sadness in his facial features. She could also sense his reluctance to talk about it, so she did not raise any protest and sat upon the stairs. Shuon sat down beside her.

Shuon's mind wandered to what the elder had told him.

"_Listen Shuon, I know that you care for that monster, perhaps a little more than necessary…So I will give you a chance to redeem yourself…Kill her, if you kill Alyce then I will let you live without any punishment…Make the right decision...If you fail to do so you'll suffer and __**so will your family**__._

Alyce was getting concerned now….Why was Shuon so distraught? "Shuon…." She muttered but she couldn't actually phrase a question.

Alyce sighed. She took out a wooden spoon and scooped some of the food. Her concerned heart made her watch the strangely distracted Shuon from the corner of her eyes.

Shuon was looking at her; not really **at **her, he was looking at the spoon of food she held.

He felt a pang of guilt as he stared at the poisoned food… But then he comforted himself. '_I will be doing Alyce a huge favour by killing her… She…She will never have to undergo all this suffering… She will not hurt anymore…' _a sigh escaped his lips. '_And I won't let her die alone… Soon after, I will use the same spoon, the very same utensil that killed her and eat the poison myself…' _he thought.

He watched as the spoon advanced closer to her lips… And then; he couldn't take it anymore, he pushed the spoon and the whole container of the poisoned food onto the ground and scooped her into his arms in a hug.

He held her tightly; he held her close.

Alyce was puzzled. She didn't know what was going on. But she didn't pull away; she just put her arms around him… "Why are you so distant today?" she whispered.

"It's….complicated." he muttered pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. Their eyes were locked with one another's and their faces mere centimeters apart.

"I am sorry about wasted food." said Shun. "I'll bring you some more later…"

She nodded with a smile on her lips.

When Shuon made his way back to the village, the elder approached him.

"Well done, boy." He muttered.

Shuon pushed him away. "Get away from me!" he screamed. "I didn't do it, alright? I couldn't poison her. I can't possibly kill her when she trusts me so much."

The elder's face contorted in anger. "What did you say young man?" he flared up.

Shuon didn't answer and the old man continued to glare at him.

"We'll see…" said the man in an ominous tone before walking away. Very soon some men caught Shuon and led him to a dark dungeon.

The darkness completely engulfed him. He was still appalled at what he had been about to do… He clutched both sides of his head with his hands and scrunched his eyes shut. "Darn it!" he muttered under his breathe.

That evening the chief went into the cell… "I have a proposal for you." He muttered.

Shuon face shuddered as he heard what the man had told him…

Two days passed and Shuon sat in the darkness all the while. He would not touch his food nor drink any water. He just sat there with his back against the wall and his hand trembling as he pulled his own hair in frustration. His rationality was leaving him bit by bit. His eyes twitched as he gritted his teeth. His entire body was shivering. "KILL HER." The words echoed in his mind. He felt like his head was spinning as he tried his best to keep a level mind. He bit his lower lip so hard that blood started dripping from it.

Meanwhile Alyce was still inside the shrine. She didn't know why, but she could sense something drearily ominous in the air. She curled up to a nearby wall and let a sigh linger on her lips. "I wonder what Shuon is doing right now." She whispered to herself.

Meanwhile Alice (the apparition) watched Shuon's vulnerable figure. What was this? Shuon was on the verge of a mental breakdown. She clenched her fists, and she also did not know what the elder had whispered to Shuon. She had not known of all this… She watched as Shuon's sorry figure sat there all alone with wide eyes muttering "No….no…no" over and over again.

"What is this? Some kind of trick?" she asked Shun (the journalist).

"I don't know." He answered truthfully.

"Never mind." She muttered through gritted teeth and turned away from him.

The wooden shrine was still as uncomfortable as ever. There was a sudden bang and Alyce stiffened. What now, that bang! Shuon never banged while visiting her.

The priest entered the shrine and forcibly led her out.

"Come with us and DO NOT resist." He muttered coldly as he harshly pulled her to her feet.

Alyce did not answer… She had by now got used to her condemned fate; but still a part of her mind shrieked.

_Why me? Why does all this happen to me? What have I ever done to __**anyone**__ to deserve this…? It's not fair…I…I am not a monster…Why me? Why am I always the condemned one? Why am I always the object of everyone's scorn; everyone hatred? Please tell me….WHY ME? WHY ME; WHY ME."_

She was provided with pure white clothing and then lead to a clearing with her hands tied behind her back.… She followed without protest.

There in the clearing stood a hoard of villagers. She found herself wondering what awaited her. Perhaps they would throw tomatoes at her or something.

Alyce looked all around her; the people's faces were filled with a kind of relief. After all; they were getting rid of a potential monster.

The elder walked towards Alyce and cupped her face with his hands. "Today, we shall purge ourselves of the ill omen of bad luck that reigns over this village." He announced and everyone cheered.

Out of the corner of her eyes Alyce spotted her own parents who were standing there. They weren't the slightest bit sad.

She closed her eyes and calmed herself down and soon two burly men went into a nearby hut and dragged out someone, Shuon to be exact.

He was led out into the clearing; his hair hid the expression on his face so Alyce couldn't make out anything. Her chocolate brown eyes were wide, what were they going to do? Was he going to be killed for helping her?

The apparition looked at the journalist. "So, I presume they threatened to kill you." She muttered.

Shun gazed at her. "I…I don't remember." He answered.

"Petty excuse." She answered.

Shun could feel the queerest sense of guilt and despair clutch at him.

He didn't know why, but he could feel his soul protesting and his heart screeching; almost as if it really didn't want to see the next part of this odd memory collection.

What did this mean?

Shuon just stood there, about two feet away from Alyce. It was almost like he were a statue.

The elder handed him a spade… "Dig her grave." He whispered into Shuon ear.

Shuon's hair was still hiding his face as he embedded the spade in the ground and started digging. Bit by bit he dug the hole and made it larger and larger until it was a little trench.

Alyce watched all of this. She had no idea what this emotion in her heart was. Perhaps it was despair mixed with a sense of betrayal.

"And now she shall be buried." Announced the elder.

Alyce didn't care that all these people were against her but why was Shuon doing this to her? Why was he on their side? After he swore that he loved her?

Alyce gulped. They were probably forcing him to face her like this… She tried convincing herself… She convinced herself that she shouldn't doubt Shuon. After all, he was the only one who ever really cared for her.

And then, the inevitable order escaped the elder's mouth. "Kill her." He muttered evenly.

Alyce felt a strange cold sensation in her chest. He wouldn't obey that command…. would he? She unconsciously took a step backwards, her eyes wide as she gazed at Shuon who was still slouched. He stood there almost like a zombie.

Shuon's hands were trembling as well. What was he to do? His sister's life was in danger. How was he to choose between two people he cherished most of all? The elder had threatened to kill Shuon's family and torture his innocent little sister to breaking-point.

Shuon was himself standing on the edge of sanity… His level mind was faltering; horribly at that. His entire mind was engrossed in confusion and despair.

And then abruptly, his hold on the spade tightened and he took a step towards Alyce; towards the one whom he loved with an intention to kill her!

A series of emotions flooded him and filled him to breaking point. He couldn't distinguish one from the other.

Shuon raised the spade and took one more step towards Alyce. He finally had raised his head and now was looking at Alyce with a stare as blank as a slate. It was almost like he was doing all this subconsciously. Alyce's brown eyes widened ad her knees started shaking violently. He was going to? No… She slowly shook her head from side to side in disbelief as her feet gave away. She sank to her knees, her face still flooded in sheer disbelief.

Alice (the apparition) was watching all this once again. _'I Believed in him to the very end…How utterly naïve of me. That was my first mistake.'_ She thought to herself as she clenched her fist in misery. A ghost of a tear sparkled as it rolled softly down her cheek.

**That's it for this chapter…. How was it? Granted, I was so late updating this round of chapters… But my days were packed and congested and crammed. Plus I had Three finales to write so things were draining me.**

**Tell me what you think kay?**

**Thanks for reading…**

**Take Care. Ciao.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Path To Rest In Peace**

**crystal-mist**

**Chapter 7**

Shuon raised the spade and took one more step towards Alyce. He had finally raised his head and now was looking straight at Alyce with a stare as blank as a slate. . Alyce's brown eyes widened ad her legs started shaking violently. She sank to her knees, her face still flooded in sheer disbelief.

"Shun…" she whispered desperately.

Shuon gulped as he gazed at Alyce. She looked like a deer trapped in front of a lion...He was not himself… He felt dizzy; his head felt like it was going to explode… His breathing was fast and uneven as he stood in attack-stance, his hands were trembling and he was standing at the edge of the cliff of sanity. And then, he slipped and fell down into the murky canyon of transgression.

The silvery metal of the spade glinted in the light of the afternoon sun as it swooped down like a wretched vulture on its unsuspecting prey. A blood-curling shriek echoed throughout the clearing.

The metal was soon coated with a thin sheen of blood; Alyce's blood. The impact from the hit had sent Alyce to the ground, her chocolate eyes wide in unsuspecting horror, blood running down from the wound on her head; the wound that Shuon had inflicted.

There was a clank as the spade fell from his grip and struck on the ground.

Alyce just laid there, her forehead hurt, but she was still in shock -Shuon had hit her, to kill. Her eyes were doleful as she stared vaguely into the distance. Her world had fallen apart and she was caught amidst the rubble of her crushed beliefs and naïve hopes.

Shuon took a few step backwards, he was distressed. He could feel that his knees were about to give away; so he ran… He ran away from it all; from his act of duplicity, from the treacherous deed he had committed.

His feet trod heavily on the brambles which covered the path that went through the forest as he ran in an uneven rhythm… His breathe was hitching in his throat, and everything seemed foggy and unclear. Tears ran like streams down his cheeks. He was still confused; he desperately hoped that all this was just a horrible, terrible nightmare…Why did he do it?

"NO…" shouted Shun (the journalist) as he grasped both sides of his head in desperation. He winced as he felt his mind getting rammed with a mysterious force. His whole body felt as if he were in a furnace and all at once, his memories of his past life returned… He was no longer Shuon's reincarnation; he and Shuon were now the same person.

Shun's body was trembling violently as his golden eyes were wide with incredulity.

"Alice…" he muttered. His voice was hollow as he raised his face and stared at Alice's apparition who stood before him.

Alice realized that the person now standing before her was Shuon…The very person she wished to kill. Alice just stood there; her eyes burning with a desire for retribution. "Do NOT call me by that name…" she muttered.

"I'm sorry…" he said half in a whisper.

"You should be…" she said ominously as she pointed at the rest of the memory.

Shun followed her indication and looked at the distant memory unfolding in front of him. The memory was about what happened to her after he had run away.

Shuon's mother was about to follow her son who had just run, she was concerned about what he had been going through….And she could see that he had broken himself with what he had just done. But the village elder stopped her. "Let him be…He will get over it." He muttered.

The elder then walked towards Alyce who was still just lying on the ground. She could not muster any reaction out of her worn-out soul, she felt empty, vacant. Tears cascaded down her cheeks.

The elder poked her a little with his foot. "The wretch is still alive after that." He said.

Saying that, he took out a stick and hit her. This time her body only winced from the impact. No scream, moan or yelp of pain escaped her lips… She just lay there as more villagers picked up sticks and started hitting her… She was fed up with everything.

Shun (journalist who regained Shuon's memory) winced in horror at every impact. "No…" he muttered. The suffering Alice must've gone through was too much to watch. He covered his eyes; he couldn't watch any longer. "Make it stop…Please…Alice…I'm sorry… No…Alice!" he cried out as he crouched to the ground. The gravity of what he had done was appalling.

He soon felt a rough tug at his arm. "Watch…it…" Alice commanded.

It was then that he noticed that her ghostly figure had changed. She was more opaque now and the wound on her forehead; the remnants of the wound he had inflicted had started bleeding once more. He watched in dread as the blood flowed in thin trails down her pale face.

"Witness…and rejoice the moments of my death, why don't you? After all, you were the one who initiated everything." She muttered, remorse flooding her voice at the last bit.

Shun's face fluctuated as he gazed at Alice…Did she really think that he was enjoying all this?

Alice let out a dry laugh overflowing with sarcasm as tears rolled down her cheeks. "You can't run from this… I won't let you… Not after you've deceived me so ruthlessly… … Watch, the consequences of your actions…I will NOT let you run away; not again…."

He could not avoid it. He felt like a dagger was being run through his heart every time a villager struck Alyce's body.

Pain was shooting through her body each time she was hit. But to Alyce; all the pain seemed to be concentrated at her forehead –where Shuon had hit her.

Out of the corner of her eyes she observed the face of each villager there. Not a single one of them were even the slightest bit sad at the way she was being hurt. Even her parents were watching emotionlessly.

A dull monotony encapsulated every face in the vicinity. Tears still flowed out of her eyes like an endless stream. _Why me? What have I ever done to hurt anybody? Why is it that everyone despises me? Why do they not see me as human…?_

The villagers ceased beating her… One of them lightly kicked her face so that it turned to one side.

"The wretch is still alive…She is still breathing!"

"Devil's messenger indeed." They said as they looked at Alyce. Her eyes were still open, but they had no life in them. Her life was hanging by a thin thread….She wished from the depths of her hearts for the thread to just snap and lead her into doom.

With a single kick she was sent to the bottom of the 'grave' Shuon had dug. Alyce landed on her back with her eyes facing the bright blue sky… A little bit of light radiated from the opening of the pit but she felt like she was enclosed in a world of darkness…She had always felt this way.

She felt a clod of dirt being thrown into the pit…. More mud followed. Her white clothes were dirtied as the villagers threw spade after spade of dirt at her. She coughed a little as some mud made its way down her nostrils. Her chocolate eyes were focused on the bright sky.

As more dirt was hauled down the hole Alice's mind only kept replaying one string of thoughts.

'_Why me? Was I fated to be despised from the moment of my birth? It's not fair…. NOTHING in this world is fair. Human beings fear those different to them. The weak are trampled upon like worthless weeds. The whole situation is messed up. It is not that I chose to have orange hair. Just one twist of fate can turn your life into a living hell… What is hell anyway? What I've gone through, is it __**hell**__? It sure felt that way… My life, if only I… - I cannot even complete that thought… '_

"_It's NOT fair." _She muttered knowing that no one would be able to hear her._ "It's NOT fair." _She was fatally wounded, she could not move even a finger._ "It's NOT fair." _Blood still emerged from her body and the dirt that had now covered Alyce almost completely absorbed her crimson blood_. "It's NOT fair."_

And then a great big heap of dirt was sent inside and it buried Alyce completely, only a small opening was left and her right eye peeped through the small gap, looking at the sky. This feeling of betrayal had been etched deep into her soul. "It's NOT fair." And another clod of dirt completely sealed her up. Beneath the mud the last of Alyce's breathe left her lungs, her heartbeat slowed down until it came to an utter stop.

And Alyce, the orange-haired girl died with the last thought. '_You'll pay for all the atrocities you made me go through…ALL OF YOU! I've suffered for so long and I guess ….' _The image of Shuon's smiling face appeared in her mind but she forcefully dispelled it…'_I WAS condemned to be alone forever….'_

Shun watched everything, his golden eyes wide as his hands still clutched at his hair. He shook his head from side to side. Alice, she must have gone through so much physical and mental pain.

"Alice….I am sorry… I-"

"Shut up!"

"Alice please believe me I, the spade…Please, I…I did not mean to hurt you. "

"Oh of course; you thought that hitting a person on the head with a spade wouldn't hurt….How perfectly logical! Admit it…The only reason you pretended to care was because you had **nothing** better to do."

"NO Alice, that's not true."

"It's ironic when you say that after digging my grave." She said as tears appeared in her eyes. She had sworn to herself that she would never cry again, but, it hurt…It still hurt, her heart still burned with grief.

"Alice, I cared for you… But they threatened me and-"

"SHUT UP!" she shouted as these tears flowed down her eyes. Was it even possible for a ghost to cry? As she shouted, she swished her hand sideways and Shun was swept off his feet and he was forced into a wall. (The wall became solid as Alice willed it so.)

He winced at the pain of the impact. But he stood up, clutching his shoulder which was rammed directly into the wall. He had broken at least a bone or two. "I am sorry…" he muttered.

She laughed as tears rolled down her cheeks. "You are sorry…Are you?" a more bitter laugh came from her lips. "There is **more** you know…" she muttered as she pointed towards the rest of the memory that was unfolding.

"More?" he repeated her words. His voice was filled with despondency and desperation… Alice had the right to detest him completely. After all; he was the reason why she was killed so inhumanely. But now; how on earth could there be **more**?

**Ooooh Now that chapter was hard to write. I had a feeling that the moment of Alyce's death had to be approached with delicacy and that each sentence had to be formulated carefully and stuff like that…And I also wanted to convey Alyce's desperation and grief… I wonder if I was able to actually do all of this.**

**Please tell me; was this chapter in the least bit touching? I'd love your response and don't afraid to be completely honest and point out whatever you wish to. I won't hold ill will against you…**

**Please REVIEW guys…**

**And thank you for reading.**


	8. Chapter 8

**This chapter is dedicated to AliceXShunMEGAFan17 . You will understand why as you read on. **

**Thank you everyone for your responses. I appreciate it. :)**

**Path To Rest In Peace**

**crystal-mist**

**Chapter 8**

"More?" Shun repeated Alice's words. His voice was filled with despondency and desperation… What more could there be?"

They did not notice the black raven that lurked it the shadows away from their attention.

The villagers were pleased with themselves. They had finally got rid of the menace, Alyce. The elder wondered where Shuon had run off to. But he did not care enough to check.

A week after Alyce's death something was happening in Alyce's grave site unbeknownst to the villagers. All the water that was left in the rivers drained away overnight and very soon there wasn't even a single drop of water available to anyone.

A drought; the likes of which the village had never seen engulfed them…The intensive thirst rendered their throats hoarse and as dry as the Sahara Dessert…

No one could comprehend what was happening. Their crops dried up and soon all the food had also been consumed.

They were hungry and thirsty… The inhabitants of the village started to suffer from serious cases of malnutrition.

After exactly one month of Alyce's death one of the villagers happened to pass by her grave and was surprised by what he saw… There was a gaping hole where the grave should have been. And inside the hole was water, crystal clear pure water.

He rushed towards the village and informed everyone. Within no time people were running towards the pond with containers in their hands.

They dipped the vessels and filled it with water. They brought it to their mouth and sighed in relief as the cool water drops refreshed their dehydrated throats.

"You want water?" came a female voice. "How dare you trespass on my grave? For that you shall pay…." And then a string of laughter echoed through the clearing.

The water in the pond instantly started changing colour… A pinkish tint appeared in it. And the water soon transformed into a gruesome red- the red, of blood. Even the water that the people had collected in their pitchers changed its colour. They dropped the vessels in fright.

The water in the pond rippled unevenly and there was an ominous breeze. Without warning hands started emerging out of the water; dry, scaly and decayed hands. They reached out to the sky and weird groaning noises also filled the clearing.

Soon zombie-like people followed. Their skin decaying and smelled foul. Some of them had nothing in their eye sockets and the others had little bits of skin sticking out from here and there. They walked slowly and heavily, just like any old zombie would.

The people scrambled out of the clearing and back into their village. The whole situation was just a level or two down from a stampede.

They did not notice the cloud of smoke that was rising from where their village was.

When they reached their village they were in for a horrible shock. Everything was covered in flames, the houses were burning and the screaming of the adults who were left behind echoed.

And right through the middle of the flames walked Alyce's ghostly figure, clad in white clothes which were powdered with mud and blood emerging the wound on her forehead. She walked step after step with a deranged expression on her face…

She slowly turned her face to the villagers and a bitter laugh escaped her ghostly lips. "Now, I will give you all a valid reason to despise me." She murmured as her chocolate brown eyes glowed bright red.

Alyce extended her right arm in their direction. "Burn in my flames of hell." She said in an icy voice.

Swirls of fire emerged from her hands and they covered the villagers. Soon cries of pain filled the atmosphere.

"Please spare us." "We're sorry." "AAHHH…Please make it stop."

Alyce just watched at their suffering and did not flinch as person after person was burnt into charcoal.

Her mother reached her. "Please Alyce honey….Make it stop… You shouldn't be doing things like this…Not to you mommy."

"Not to my mommy?" repeated Alyce, the hatred in her heart subsiding for a split second… But then she saw that sly glint in her mother's eyes. "Mommy? So tell me, where was Mommy when I was being beaten up all those times. Where was Mommy when they were burying me alive? Where was Mommy when they were calling me a monster just because of my hair colour…Tell me…Tell me now!" screeched Alyce.

The flames that was burning her mother only intensified and the peoples' screams only grew louder. The sounds of crying children also intensified.

Alyce climbed up on a tree and sat on one of the braches and swung her feet like a little child.

She laughed once more. "Oh my! The fire must be hot... So **HOT**…Flaming, burning, blazing, fiery, sweltering, sizzling, blistering, searing, scorching,." She said, and with each word her voice became a bit louder.

And soon the flames subsided and the village was reduced to ashes and it was filled with the dead bodies of it's previous inhabitants. Alyce closed her eyes and jumped off the tree's branch. Right as she landed on the ground a strong wind blew and the fire disappeared.

The whole village was reduced to rubble and there was only one solitary hut standing upright… Alyce walked over to it and opened the door to the hut. Inside the hut were the children of the village, some old, some babies and they were unharmed. They looked at Alyce with a terror-stricken face.

"Take care of the babies." She muttered to the older ones before walking away.

As Alyce walked away a raven flew towards her and perched on her shoulder.

"You killed them yet spared the children who were innocent…You are quite soft, aren't you?" cawed the raven, its red eyed glinting.

"Shut up."

"Perhaps you should stop pretending to be tough."

Alyce ignored the raven's remark. But she said something. "**He** wasn't there…."

"Yes, I noticed too…The boy you loved isn't along the pile of dead bodies."

She did not answer…

"Now now Alyce…. Don't worry. We will track him down… And only after **his** death will I take you to hell."

***Flashback***

Soon after her death Alyce found herself surrounded by darkness… TO be honest she was scared.

Suddenly, a sort of spotlight lit up from nowhere and in the middle of the circle of light stood a raven with glowing red eyes.

"Alyce Gehabich… Welcome to the gateway… I couldn't help but overhear your thoughts and I basked in your thirst for revenge…. So now…Tell me, Just how badly do you want this so-called revenge?"

Alyce was on her knees… She was still overwhelmed with the pain she had just been put through. "I will do ANYTHING…" she muttered.

The raven visibly smirked. "Alright then…If you truly wish to eliminate the people who have tormented you then I will help you deliver your vengeance. However, you must in turn make a sacrifice… You will be sent to hell after your revenge."

"Hell…" she repeated. "I've lived in hell ALL my life." She muttered as she stood up from her knees.

"Very well then…" the raven then flew away and the darkness around Alyce dissipated.

The raven watched her from a tree-top. "It's strange… But I just can't help but feel sorry for that girl…"

***End Flashback***

***Back in the present* (21****st**** century present I mean)**

"You….you killed them all?" muttered Shun in disbelief as he looked at Alice (the apparition).

"That's right." She answered. "Why? Does it bother you?"

"But Alice….How….how could you?"

"How could I?" she bellowed. "How could I?" she shouted once again. "How could YOU have killed me? How could **you** have turned against me like all the rest? After all you said….You even kissed me…DARN IT ALL!" she shouted as tears of blood rolled down her cheeks.

Shun watched in horror.

She was trembling a bit…Her voice mellowed down a bit… "I mean…I wouldn't have minded if you had stood on the sidelines without interfering…Even that was acceptable… But you hit me with a **spade**! I….I believed every word you said… All for what?"

"Alice….I…"

"Shut up…And just accept your death…" she said as she raised her face to look at him.

Shun didn't know what to do… That sadness and hatred in her eyes was just unbearable for him.

The raven spoke up… "Alice dear…Perhaps you should know the reason Shun betrayed you."

Alice half-glared at the raven. "I don't want any reason…"

"I insist." Said the raven…. And Alice could see from it's eyes that it was serious.

"But don't expect that to sway my desire for revenge."

The raven ruffled its feathers as another stream of memories soon surrounded them.

This time it was a dimly lit room and Shuon was sitting in the middle of the room. His arms were tied behind his back and his body was trembling a bit.

The door at the far end opened and the village elder walked in along with three other men. One of them had the end of a chain in his hand. He tugged at it and in stumbled a young little girl with short black hair and golden eyes which matched Shun's. She was being led like she was some animal.

"Now…Shuon. Let me see if I cannot alter your decision about killing that demon Alyce.

The little girl was Shuon's sister. Her cheeks were marked with tear stains and she was still sniffling a bit. Her childish face lit up in joy as she saw her brother but then fear crossed it as she saw the sorry state Shuon was in.

"Brother, are you alright?" she called out. But before Shuon could answer; the elder pulled her roughly and tied her up to a nearby post.

The little hut was soon filled with a series of shrieks as two of the other men lashed her. The wicked whip left brutal marks on her tender skin. She howled as she cried out to her brother for help…

Shuon watched in horror as his innocent sister suffered… There came a point where the little girl could no longer bear the pain and she fell unconscious.

"So…What is your decision?" asked the elder as he pulled Shuon's hair brusquely.

"I….I…" Shuon was unable to frame a proper sentence.

"Well if you still won't kill Alyce then we can continue this whip-lashing session when your sister becomes conscious again." Said the elder with a sadistic smirk.  
"STOP!" Shuon screeched. "Just stop….stop….please stop…"

"Alright….So I guess I will take that as a 'yes I will kill Alyce'. Have a nice day young man."

And with that the men untied Shuon's sister and carried the unconscious girl away. They left Shuon in the darkness…

"Help…." Shuon whispered in vulnerability. He had no idea whom he was addressing… He just needed someone to help straighten things out.

Alice (the apparition) was taken aback… She was also mortified by the way the men beat Sutori.(Shun's sister)

"But…Still that is no justification." She muttered, her face bowed down.

The raven cocked it's head a little. "Hn…Now, just one last vision… See what happened after your death Alice… You want to know what happened when Shun ran away from that place after hitting you, don't you?"

Alice didn't answer. Yes, it was true. She wanted to know what happened thereafter… "Alright…Show me then." She told the raven.

"Alice…I don't think that you should see that." Spoke up Shun.

Alice turned towards him. "Oh really? And why is that?"

"Just don't…" he muttered. "It's better if you didn't."

"I can assume what happened….You probably got married, settled down and fathered lots of children."

"I wouldn't even think of such! Not after what I did to you."

"Oh…So you do understand the gravity of what you did to me….How very nice!" She said mockingly.

"I'm sorry…"

"I **will** know what happened… I have a right to; after all, you were the one who killed me physically and mentally." She turned towards the raven and nodded at it… Immediately the scene around them changed.

It was dark and a guy with long black hair and golden eyes was dashing through the forest. His breathing was heavy… "What have I done? What? Why? How could I have? NO…It's not fair…." He was muttering desperately as he ran aimlessly.

Alice(the apparition) wouldn't let it show on her expression… But she was horrified after having witnessed how inhumanely Shun's little sister had been treated… Alice now understood why Shun had that deranged expression on his face when he was about to hit her with the spade. She realized that Shun was probably not in his most sane temperament. Her chocolate eyes widened. _'What is this emotion I feel? Could it possibly be doubt? No, I shouldn't doubt this…No; he deserves to die for what he did to me.' _She thought to herself.

But then another part of her mind protested. '_But, he had no choice. Not after seeing his little sister hurt so horrifyingly… He just wanted to protect her… That is why he-'_ She stopped her thoughts short before she started sympathizing with him. A sigh escaped her lips as she waited for what would unwind before her.

**Now that chapter was long… Alright, so according to my expectations, there should be only two more chapters at the most….Not sure about the particulars.**

**Alright, so tell me what you think of this. And also tell me what you expect happened to Shuon after he had run away.**

**REVIEW alright?**


	9. Chapter 9

**Path To Rest In Peace**

**crystal-mist**

**Chapter 9**

**Repentance **

Shuon's figure was seen running through the forest… He just happened to trip on a twig and plummeted to the ground. He landed face first in the dirt.

He just lay there for a while, his mind nagging him relentlessly. His hands were trembling.

"What are you doing here all alone in the dark?" came a female voice.

Shuon pulled himself up and through his messy hair, looked at the person in front of him; he scoffed as he saw that this girl had orange hair ….just like Alyce.

Tears rolled down Shuon's cheeks as he stared at the girl with an emasculate expression on his face. This girl however had short hair and purple eyes, she wasn't Alyce.

The girl kneeled down beside him. "What's wrong? You looked shaken up."

Shuon could feel his eyesight blurring and his head was spinning, probably because of all the running in that cold chilly night.

Shuon's next memory was waking up, draped in blankets and in unfamiliar surroundings.

He sat up and pulled the blankets off him and noticed that his bleeding legs had been bandaged most carefully. Shuon gulped as he gripped both sides of his own head. "Please tell me all that was just a nightmare…Please…Please someone…Please let that be just a nightmare." He muttered to himself.

"Let what be a nightmare?" came a female voice as the short orange haired girl walked into the door with a tray of food in her hand.

Shun gazed at the girl almost as if she were a ghost. "You…. But then….That means-" he couldn't complete his sentence as he once again found himself on the edge of the cliff of sanity.

The girl sat down beside him. "I don't know if this food will be of your liking…But please do try it."

"No thank you… I am not hungry right now."

"You must eat something…You passed out yesterday and you were running a high fever. What is it that provokes you to look so miserable all the time?"

He did not answer. His golden eyes only stared at his two hands, the hands that had mercilessly killed Alyce, the one he loved.

At once, his hands clenched in fists and he stood up. "I apologize for being a nuisance to you…But I must leave now." Saying this he turned to leave.

The girl's face dropped as she watched Shuon half limp away. "You are leaving because I have orange hair, aren't you? …Orange is the colour of the devil after all."

Shun turned towards her, there were tears in her eyes and for a moment or two Shuon noticed the way her eyes shone hopelessly just like Alyce's had.

"No…Don't get me wrong. That's not it. In fact," his hands were trembling. "The one I loved had orange hair as well."

She gazed at him in disbelief. "You used past tense…So where is she now?"

"She's…" Shun hesitated almost as if he himself didn't wish to believe what he was about to say next. "Dead."

The girl's features transformed into one of sympathy as she walked over to Shuon. "Is that why you grieve so much?" she questioned softly.

She softly held onto Shuon's hand. "You can stay here you know." She told him. "You…can stay here with me." She rested her face on his chest. "I…I'm so lonely." She muttered. "…Stay here… You can have my heart, my soul, my everything. I will give you whatever you wish…I will be your slave for all eternity is that is your will."

Shuon gazed at the face of the girl in front of him, the girl who so reminded him of Alyce.

That's it; that was the best solution. He didn't have to go back to the village to face the consequences. He didn't have to see her grave… He could just stay here with this girl.

He could…pretend she was Alyce? He could have a life, a family even. He could give her the happiness that he was unable to provide Alyce with.

And as this solution struck him the girl's face moved closer to his; her lips were moving towards his.

Shuon closed his eyes and parted his lips, waiting for contact.

When there was no more than a sliver of a distance between both their lips Shuon's body jolted almost as if he'd been electrocuted. He withdrew hastily. What was he doing? How could he even permit himself to accept such a simple solution? How could he live a happy life after he'd hurt Alyce?

"I'm sorry…But you may look for happiness elsewhere, miss... I cannot stay here…I WILL not stay here. Sorry to disappoint you." and saying this he parted form the girl and walked away from her.

She clutched a handful of her skirt as tears rolled down her cheeks. "I thought that someone would finally accept me." She muttered to herself in vain. But then she shook her head from side to side and quietly went back into her house.

"What was I thinking darn it! I have no right to live a happy life…No right." He muttered to himself as he continued walking almost as if he were a zombie.

Within no time he found himself standing on the edge of a cliff. His golden eyes widened as he looked at

its depths. It was as if fate itself had led him here.

And then he looked at the sky, his face filled with a sudden softness. That's right; he would atone for all he'd done. He walked right to the edge and was about to jump off it when he suddenly stopped in his tracks. He shook his head from side to side and took a step backwards.

Back in reality, Alice's apparition said to herself. _'I knew that he wouldn't jump off. I knew he wouldn't.' _she thought to herself.

Shuon had retreated from the cliff's edge. _'I was about to jump off…But then, that…'_ he walked towards a nearby boulder and knelt down beside it. Without even thinking twice he rammed his forehead onto it. _'If I jumped off that cliff…I wouldn't have gone through nearly as much pain as my dear Alyce had gone through… Not nearly as much!' _and thinking that he hit his forehead on the boulder once more.

With each hit he used all of his strength and blood trickled down the side of his face.

'_I'm a wicked person' _Thud- his head made contact with the boulder once more.

'_Good for nothing…' _Thud.

'_I am sorry.' _Thud.

'_Alyce…You've suffered so much and what do I do? Hit you with a spade!'_ Thud, thud.

'_I swore I'd love you…' _Thud. _'Forever.'_

Tears escaped his eyes and mixed with his blood into a coagulated solution of salty red. His arms were trembling from the pain of his wound and he could feel his body getting weaker.

But he relentlessly went on. _'Alyce…You deserved better.'_ Thud.

'_You were, ARE not a monster…You…you were an angel.'_ Thud.

'_And what have I done?'_ Thud.

'_Oh my Lord, what have I done! ?'_ Thud.

'_I must…must suffer….'_ Thud. _'Must suffer…must pay.'_ Thud.

And with that thud Shuon couldn't continue any further, the pain in his head had overtaken him and his bodily functions. He could no longer raise his head from the horizontal slab and slam back into it.

His breathe was heavy as the intense pain caused his face to cringe.

Back in reality Alice's apparition watched all this in disbelief. Sure, her blood had boiled seeing Shun with that orange haired girl. But now, she could feel what was left of her heart aching.

Why, why as Shuon doing all this? Was he that upset by his betraying her?

Alice watched, her face betraying the horror in her heart each time Shuon hit himself. He was already lying in a pool of his own blood. But he didn't seem to think that this pain was equivalent to what he had caused her.

Shuon's face lied on the cold rocky slab as more tears rolled out of his eyes. Alice's face , her horror had been deeply etched into the very fibre of his being.

So he reached out sideways, his hand came into contact with what was like a small rock. It had the same size as Shuon's fist and just about fit into his hand.

With what little strength he had he set his hands in motion. He repeatedly hit himself with it.

Alice (the apparition) couldn't hide her horror any more. She brought her hands to cover her mouth as traces of tears streamed down her cheeks. She had expected Shuon to forget about her and live a normal and happy life, but he didn't. He blamed himself for everything…And was now hurting himself so badly.

Shun (journalist who was now the same person as Shuon.) sighed seeing Alice's tears.

"I told you that it would be better off had you not known…" he muttered, looking a bit disappointed.

"Stop it." Whispered Alice.

Shun realized that Alice was now speaking to that young man in the string of memories.

Not that it made much difference. Shuon continued to hit himself regardless of the excruciating pain, regardless of the blood that he lost, regardless of how tired he felt. He continued this process until the stone fell fro his grip. His fingers were weak and could no longer grasp it.

His hand dropped down to his side and then his body would no longer move.

So he just lay there awaiting his impending death.

He closed his eyes and visualized Alyce's beautiful face. Slowly darkness spread throughout her features and Shuon crossed over into oblivion; in other words –he died.

Before she knew what was happening more tears rolled down her cheek as she fell onto her knees.

Shun watched her figure sympathetically. This was exactly why he didn't want her to see this particular trn of his previous life.

He walked over to her. He was remorseful that he had caused dear Alyce's spirit to roam through the reaches of time with bitter desire for revenge; and now, she was crying.

With a sad look on his face he stroked her hair.

"Stay away from me." Alice mumbled; remnants of her previous hatred weighing her down.

Shun said nothing, but he did not obey her request. He only knelt down beside her. He gently placed his hands on Alice's arms and pulled her into a hug.

"I am so sorry you had to witness that dreadful suicidal memory." He whispered. _'However, it was nothing when compared to the manner of your death. It was nearly not that tormenting.'_

Alice struggled against his grip. He could have used her spiritual powers to blow him away. But for a few moments it felt as if she were really alive again. Perhaps, it was Shun's caring touch.

"Please, just stay like this for a little while longer even if for only a few more seconds." He whispered holding onto her poltergeist form tightly.

Alice relinquished her struggle for a few moments as she heard his words.

"That's right." He breathed as he felt her half-ghostly body relax.

Alice couldn't comprehend any of this. She was out for revenge. The only reason for her spirit's existence was so that she could exact vengeance on Shun. But now…her mind was muddles… She was not so sure any more.

She was vaguely aware of the severe red eyes of the raven watching her, monitoring her every move.

What was to follow?

**And so now… Shun's dead.**

**Yes, yes… I know you think that I am cruel for making them go through all this suffering… But bear with me alright… As for the ending, the next chapter is planned to be the last. That's right, this is the second last chapter. **

**So please give me support, inspire me to write the next one –the last one.**

**And you better REVIEW, if you wish for a happy ending or I'll make them die condemned deaths away from one another and utter misery will overtake their hearts and all that… Just kidding, but seriously, review kay?**

**Ps- I am also planning on launching a new story…So tell me which title is better kay?**

**My Muddling Mirage.**

**My Mesmerizing Mirage.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Finally I am down to the last chapter of this story…It has been a long and arduous journey for me…And I probably frustrated you with all the late updates…. Anyways, Thanks for sticking by me all this while…And thank you for the review…They are much appreciated.****Hope you will like the last chapter…**

**SO with that, I shall start with the narration.****Btw, I don't own Bakugan, but you knew that right?**

**Path To Rest In Peace**

**crystal-mist**

**Chapter 10**

The red eyes of the raven glinted ominously as a strong wind emerged out of nowhere. An array of black feathers materialized in the air. A man with glimmering silver hair was now standing in the place of the raven. He wore lustrous black feathery clothing, had red eyes and held a silver staff in his hand.

Alice immediately pried herself away from Shun's grip as she gazed at the silver-haired man in wonder.

"What is going through that head of yours?" asked the man, his crimson eyes emotionless.

"I…" Alice could feel this sort of unreasonable uncertainty take over her. "I…" her hair hid the expression on her face. "I cannot kill him…" she spoke in a voice barely above a whisper.

"DO you not remember our contract?" he spoke in his smooth voice.

Alice stood there in silence. "I do… However…"

"Are you making excuses?" he asked striking the tip of the staff on the ground with a loud thud. "I said that I would allow you to wander on this earth to get revenge… And now you DO NOT want to kill him?"

She nodded timidly. She knew that the guardian would be enraged. But strangely enough, she felt more than ready to face the consequences. "I plan to keep my word…I will go to hell. However I will not kill this man… I can't."" answered Alice.

"So you will let yourself be taken to hell without protest?

She gulped. "Yes…My life itself was hell…So I really doubt that I'll have to go through more torture on the other side of that portal."

Shun gathered his resolve and every single spec of his courage and then took Alice's arm. He pulled her roughly over to his side.

"Shun…what are you-" she exclaimed but was cut short.

"I won't let you go just like that." Muttered Shun as he stared deep into the eyes of the one he loved.

The raven looked amused. "How benevolent of you!" He held the silver staff positioned at Shun's chest and then hit him hard with it. Shun was sent flying to the side where he lie in a lump.

He got back up on his knees and charged mindlessly at the raven and was only sent back to the ground again.

The raven extended his hand towards Alice. "Time to go."

She took one last look at Shun who was now lying on the ground.

"Don't…hurt her… Please." He whispered desperately.

A sort of smirk appeared on the raven-man's lips. He looked piercingly into Alice's eyes. The sadness that he saw in them made him speak out his conclusion. "You know…I suspected you right from the start." He muttered.

"What do you mean?" questioned Alice.

"I had suspected that you never wanted revenge in the first place." explained the raven-man.

"But I…"

"Admit it Alice…You never wished to kill Shun….You never wished revenge. All you wished for was to know if he killed you intentionally. You wanted to know why he betrayed you. Admit it; your quest for revenge was just an excuse you used to justify your craving to see him again."

Tears ran down her cheeks. "I…" her shoulders were trembling. "I…" the raven's words took her by storm. How was it that he was able to perceive her feelings so clearly and precisely? So, she confessed her confused state of mind as tears rolled down her cheeks… "I was afraid; I was terrified to admit to myself that in spite of everything, in spite of every single spec of betrayal I went through, I did not stop loving him…"

Shun's eyes widened as he heard that. "Alice….you can't…you really can't mean that." He muttered still in a daze.

"And why not? I had to admit it someday….This is the truth." She spoke amidst her trembling voice.

"Alice…..I…."

"No please." She pleaded. "Please, just allow me to leave you with no regrets."

"No regrets?"

She nodded. "That's right Shun….I have no regrets what-so-ever right now."

"But…."

"I hate to interrupt your adorable conversation….but I can't stay here like this all eternity and let you continue on your little drabble fest." said the man in a sort of bored voice.

Alice turned to the raven-man. "Tell me…You knew that my real intention was solace for my heart. Is that why you made me show Shun time all our previous memories? Is that why you made me relive the past and reveal what happened with Shun?"

The raven-man nodded knowingly; and then a heavy sigh escaped his lips. "Never in my 10,000 years as hell's guardian did I think that I would do something like this." He whispered in a half-ashamed voice. "It's quite pathetic that I must pity one of my preys…"

"But…I am grateful…."

"Okay **enough** of this human thankfulness and gratitude and love…." He said pulling a sour face. "Moving on." He pointed at Alice with his index finger. "As a part of Section89 paragraph 8…I am entitled to pardon ONE victim of hell every 5000 years…And so, you shall be the first one and the last to whom I shall grant freedom...I pardon you from your term in hell."

Alice stared at him incredulously… "You don't mean…."

"You don't have to kill Shun Kazami if you don't want to…." Explained the raven… "Now Alice….You may say your goodbyes." He instructed, leaning onto a nearby tree.

Alice smiled gratefully at the guardian of hell.

She then turned his attention to Shun who had opened his mouth to say something…but she shook her head from side to side to stop him. "Please, do not say anything." She begged him as she used her fringe to hide her tears.

He was right in front of her now. "Fine." He said as he pulled her in for a hug.

Alice's chocolate eyes widened as she surrendered to Shun's embrace. The tears started free falling down her cheeks.

"How mushy-mushy can you get?" sighed the raven; his make-shift disgust masked his contentment. "These human emotions are so pathetic…You are all so weak-willed."

Alice then slowly parted from Shun. "Goodbye." She whispered as she gazed into his golden orbs.

He said nothing, nor did he nod. He just stared at her as her ghostly figure started fading away. She had a smile on her tear-strewn face. "I'm grateful for your love…Now Shun, you may move on." She muttered as she disappeared completely.

The portal drew to a close. The grassy scenery that surrounded him slowly faded. It swirled around and soon Shun was engulfed in this sickening feeling.

When he finally regained consciousness he found himself lying on his work table.

That picture of the singer impaled by the knife lay beside him.

And the words "GO TO HELL" was still imprinted on his wall. The blood had turned a sort of nauseating blackish red.

He stood up form his chair and wiped the sweat off his brow. He wondered if all this was a dream. But then again, those vivid memories and love that still flooded his heart proved otherwise.

A heavy sigh escaped his dry throat. Alice was gone now… At least she was safe; at least she was not in hell. But he couldn't help but wish that he were by her side.

He tidied up the table and then finished compiling his latest article. It took him a while to get accustomed to having the memories of two souls in his head.

Two weeks later.

Shun was spending his afternoon crouched over a huge stack of papers. He walked over to the copy machine that was kept across the room.

He was busy tending to a paper jam when the chief editor of the magazine came into the room.

"Busy as usual are we?" he questioned.

"Uh-huh." Shun answered not looking up, he was too engrossed in his work.

"Anyway…I only came here to introduce you to your new assistant." He said.

"Oh." murmured Shun still not looking at the man before him. "Yeah, I heard that Miles quit his job…"

"You know, it wouldn't hurt to actually welcome your new subordinate." stated the man matter-of-factly.

"Oh!" exclaimed Shun. The concept of politeness had just dawned upon him. "I am sorry." He said raising his head. "You see…" his sentence was left incomplete as his eyes fell on his new orange-haired assistant. "Alice?" he half questioned.

The head sponsor looked at the two disbelievingly "You two know one another?"

Shun waited eagerly for an answer. This girl was a ditto copy of Alice…but then, was she **her**? Was this the Alice he loved, or just some other reincarnated soul that bore no resemblance to her personality what-so-ever?

"Well." She answered. "Yes, I do happen to know from a _**LONG**_ time ago." She said smiling.

Shun smiled softly noticing the stress she applied on the word 'long'.

The guardian of hell watched all this from the top of a tree. A sort of smile hinted his lips. He had pardoned Alice and even given her a second chance at life. SO now, there was no turning back. His red eyes glinted as he reprimanded himself for the umpteenth time. "You are getting soft in your old age." He muttered to himself with a brief chuckle. But then he looked at the sky. "But then again, if you think about it, that girl was just a beautiful flower that was trampled by the heavy burden of fate. She was made the object of a vicious cycle of unreasonable hatred in that village. If a heavy ripple was created in a puddle you would blame the stone that caused it and not the puddle itself…right?" and with that justification he chose to forget about these course of events.

Shun could've asked Alice just why she was there with him. He could've asked her the explanation. Had she been give a second chance at life? Had she been reincarnated?

All he knew was that Alice was now by his side. She had also accepted his invitation to stay over at his humongous new house. She was the same Alice of 200 years ago…. The one that Shun so dearly loved…

He chuckled in contentment as he opened the door to the house he had once dubbed 'haunted'.

"Why are you laughing?" questioned Alice softly taking hold of his arm.

He smiled at her brightly. "I am just glad…." He whispered, taking hold of her cheek. He then pulled her into a kiss. The first kiss in over 200 years of endless regret…

All resentment put aside, all bitterness shed and all acrimony forgotten.

Finally, after all that untold suffering, the both of them could lead the happy and blissful life that they so deserved.

**Path To Rest In Peace Fin.~~~~**

**That's the ending people****...**

**Tell me what you think okay? Writing this story was great and I really hope that you are all content with the ending… You've been asking me for a happy ending. And yeah, this is a happy ending…**

**Congratulations to my reviewers who guessed almost the entire plotline of the last chapter correctly… Great going guys…You are so perceptive….**

**Anyways Adios Amigos. Take care and check out my other stories if you're free and all.**

**Seriously now, leave me a REVIEW, won't you? It is the last chapter after all!**

**Arisu signing out. **


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